Rhapsody 13

Homer commentary

A sampling of comments on Odyssey Rhapsody 13

2017.06.22 / updated 2018.10.08 | By Gregory Nagy The storytelling of Odysseus has come to an end, and he will now be sent home to Ithaca by his hosts, Alkinoos and the Phaeacians. Sailing through the night in a ship provided by king Alkinoos, Odysseus is in a deep sleep, which is compared to death itself. At the precise moment when the ship reaches the shores of his homeland, Ithaca,… Read more

Homer commentary

A sampling of comments on Iliad Rhapsody 13

2016.10.13 / updated 2018.09.11 | By Gregory Nagy The momentum of the Trojan onslaught led by Hector intensifies here, and the prospects of the Achaeans look grim, almost hopeless. Hector is so successful that he feels tempted, toward the end of Rhapsody 13, to equate himself with immortal gods. Meanwhile, the intensity of the narrative keeps pace, and the poetic virtuosity approaches the sublime. Read more